Russia's Communist leader has voiced support for a referendum to rename the city of Volgograd as Stalingrad, and has suggested that St. Petersburg readopt its Soviet-era name of Leningrad.

"Only two cities have been subjected to name changes after the Great Patriotic war  Leningrad and Stalingrad" Communist Party head Gennady Zyuganov told Russian News Service.

"They were not awarded the title of "Hero City for nothing, the whole world knows them as Leningrad and Stalingrad" Zyuganov said, adding the people of St. Petersburg had to be called upon to back the name change.

During D-Day commemorations in Normandy last week, President Vladimir Putin suggested that residents of the city once dubbed after Soviet dictator Josef Stalin could vote to change its current name  Volgograd  back to Stalingrad.

A number of Russian politicians and the Orthodox Church have voiced support for the proposal.

The Orthodox Church supports the name change back to Stalingrad. Interesting that the Church would want to bring back the name celebrating the man who would rule over an atheist state. That would keep the Church from fulfilling its holy mission.

And by interesting, I mean I’m surprised the church hierarchy is happy to announce just whose pocket said hierarchy is in.

Stalingrad should be renamed—Not for the Communist dictator but for the men and women who died their in WW II. For the historic turning point battle fought there. St. Petersburg should be St. Petersburg because of its roots to the Czars and history of Russia—the people who live their always called it that anyway.

Part of me is thinking, at least they are still acknowledging their history, while in this country, we’re running away for ours as fast as we can. They barely even talk about WWII anymore in our schools.

It was a desperate Stalin who rehabilitated the Orthodox Church after the Nazis invaded, & freed from the Gulag what Orthodox clergy were still alive, to inspire the Russian people to fight for the Motherland & not just Stalin & communism.

The Soviet regime reverted to type after victory was achieved. Nikita Khrushchev destroyed even more churches than Stalin, mostly in the villages whih the latter had overlooked.

19
posted on 06/09/2014 11:55:11 AM PDT
by elcid1970
("In the modern world, Muslims are living fossils.")

It was a desperate Stalin who rehabilitated the Orthodox Church after the Nazis invaded, & freed from the Gulag what Orthodox clergy were still alive, to inspire the Russian people to fight for the Motherland & not just Stalin & communism.

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You kind of neglected to mention that it was Stalin and his ilk that put those orthodox church leaders in the gulag to begin with in the years leading up to WW2.

Rehabilitated at the point of a gun is a bit less than what I have come to understand as rehabilitation.

Very true what you say, but the Orthodox Church has historically been a co-ruler of Russia. This was interrupted during the communist era. The horrific atrocities inflicted on Christian believers by Stalin failed to exterminate the Church which is in renaissance today.

Why the Church wants the name of Stalingrad restored is a mystery to me the more I think about it.

26
posted on 06/09/2014 2:19:15 PM PDT
by elcid1970
("In the modern world, Muslims are living fossils.")

Chuikov is the only Marshal of the Soviet Union that is not buried in the Kremlin wall. His wish was to lay near the men he had commanded at Stalingrad. He is buried near the Victory Statue at Mamayev Kurgan. After Stalingrad, the 62nd army was reconstituted and renamed the 8th Guards Army.
With Chuikov still in command, the 8th Guards spearheaded Zhukov’s final assault on Berlin. Believe it was an 8th Guards soldier that raised the Sickle and Hammer flag on the Reichstag.

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